Investing in the future: AB Equipment’s commitment to training with MITO
At AB Equipment, a long-time MITO partner, apprentices aren’t just trainees—they’re future business and industry leaders. AB Equipment is an example of a company that is invested in growing its own talent to secure the future of New Zealand’s heavy automotive and equipment servicing industry.
In business since 1878, AB Equipment employ specialist heavy automotive service and parts technicians nationwide and focus on training them from the ground up.
“We’re committed to hiring and training apprentices—we need to build our own,” says Kim Milne, Chief People Officer at AB Equipment. “It’s about preparing for the future of AB Equipment and for the industry in general in New Zealand.”
AB Equipment currently have a total of 91 learners enrolled in MITO training programmes across the country, 83 of those signed up in an apprenticeship programme.
That investment starts with attitude. “When we’re hiring apprentices, we look for people who have a real interest in it,” she explains. “You can teach someone how to work on equipment, and improve their literacy and numeracy, but the attitude and passion for our industry is key from the start—it’s what really makes the difference.”
The impact of a structured training plan is also key. “We can definitely see the difference between an apprentice one year into their training versus two or three in terms of confidence and skill,” Kim adds. “By the time most of them are in their third year, we give them a van, and they're off on their own, working with our customers.”
The team points to MITO and its training programmes as a strong partner in this development.
“The structure and support MITO provides really staircases apprentices in the right direction,” says Nicola Turner, AB Equipment’s Learning & Development Advisor.
That progression is especially visible during AB Equipment’s annual Apprentice of the Year competition, proudly sponsored by MITO.
Six apprentices are chosen after a rigorous application process to compete in a location somewhere in NZ where they are put through their paces across six different categories—a mix of team building, customer service, health and safety and technical tasks—the competition is a fun way to show off the skills they have learned in their time with the company.
“It’s in November but some of our branches are already asking about it, saying they have an apprentice who’s going to win it this year! There’s quite a lot of friendly competition between the branches.”
“The awards give the apprentices something to work towards, something else they can be proud of and put on their CV,” Nicola explains.
One apprentice who’s risen through the ranks is Oscar, who joined AB Equipment after studying engineering at university. Though currently on leave due to a non-work-related shoulder injury, Oscar remains dedicated to his learning and looks forward to getting back on the tools.
“I really enjoy my job. The satisfaction of completing something and knowing I've done it right—there’s a lot of pride there. That’s the best part.”
His branch manager praises Oscar’s work ethic and proactive nature, describing him as a role model among the apprentice group. “He’s taken a leadership role, has strong attention to detail, and always takes a ‘measure twice, cut once’ approach.”
Despite weathering a rough patch in the industry, there are signs of recovery that the business looks forward to embracing.
It’s no surprise AB Equipment has been in business for almost 150 years. Through the difficult times, they have remained focused on providing a positive work environment, and future-proofing their business and the industry by consistently training and developing their staff, even if that means that some staff move on to new opportunities. This has helped them to stay ahead of the competition and build loyal staff, as well as loyal customers.
“We try to provide an excellent environment for our staff. We do get quite a few boomerangs coming back to ABE!” says Nicola, referring to staff who leave but eventually come back to the business.
“Sometimes, a technician will want to go overseas. We hate to lose them but it’s great for them to try new things and hopefully, they'll spread their wings and have a good experience, and then, having enjoyed working with us previously, come back to us with all that extra knowledge.”
“We also have team members that have been with us for over 40 years—they've never worked anywhere else,” says Nicola. “We have someone who started as an apprentice, has been through many different roles, had lots of training, and now he's a branch manager and just celebrated 20 years with us.”
“We've got a lot of different career paths our staff can shift to. They can stay on the tools if they want, or move to our technical team, sales, management—you name it, we’ll support them.”